This list ranges from a $40 to a $930 light. Depending on what kind of rider you are your need may vary.

I know some training rides I have been on saw me riding 25mph + on main roads in the suburbs and when at the twilight hours I was SOO grateful to be near the person with the high end lumen power rocking.

For regular city commuting you may be inclined to go with a more inexpensive option, but honestly with the bad mounts I have experienced and then bad lights overall, I have probably spent more than $250 over the past 3 years on lights alone.

My life is worth way more than that so IMO a really good bike light is priceless for someone riding at night.

Its a shame all cars come standard with headlights, but bikes only come with cheap reflectors that do nothing; especially when a front light is required by law.

In the city being seen is more important, but for our more country/rural/suburban riders you actually need illumination at times. I know this from many Illinois Prairie Path rides at night. Again, the benefit of a high powered, higher end light can't be more emphasized.

An MTBR reader, Benji, did the dollars per lux calculations for the 2012 MTBR lights "shoot-out", using the standardized test that Francois at MTBR conducts for brightness, rather than manufacturers' claimed lumens (some of which are simply wishful thinking on makers' parts).

Magicshine seems best lumens per dollar here. Of course there are other considerations: Magicshine is a cheap Chinese knockoff of the German Lupine Betty, which has had problems in the past with batteries that caught fire (there was a recall last year) and flimsy wires that tend to break. But you could buy 9 or 10 Magicshines for what you'd pay for 1 Lupine Betty, which is a consideration if you tend to break or lose lights--the Chinese version is almost disposable and you could buy a new one each year for ten years for the cost of the German light.

Another consideration: this is based on manufacturer suggested prices--if you buy on discount, the numbers shift.

Other considerations: weight (particularly for a helmet mounted light), waterproofness, build quality (some folks prefer a well built light that lasts years--unless they lose or break it), heat handling (more or less heat fins), built-in/outboard battery, rechargeable or not, how many hours before the battery depletes, and on and on. It's a trade-off all the way down the line. There's more to consider than just lux per bux.

Me? I just bought the last Light & Motion Urban 500 on clearance (@ Ten 27) for $127.99, making my calculation $2.41 per MTBR lux. Not the absolute best bang for buck, but OK by me. And of course, the numbers get even more squirrely once you figure in that I paid sales tax (but wouldn't from an out-of-state online shop), didn't pay shipping, and was able to help my LBS as it liquidates (karma points that are hard to quantify).

And I agree with everything Aaron posted above here. Especially this point: why are bike manufacturers and shops allowed to sell bikes without lights, when lights are required by law? Cars and motorcycles are never sold without lights, why just bikes? (This came out of the very good discussion at the last Chainlink "LookChicago" meeting--if you're not yet a member, please join us!)

Best guess is that sales of (new) cars and motorcycles must comply with standards set forth by federal law, whereas there is no corresponding federal standard regarding lights on bicycles.

Thunder Snow said:

Especially this point: why are bike manufacturers and shops allowed to sell bikes without lights, when lights are required by law? Cars and motorcycles are never sold without lights, why just bikes? (This came out of the very good discussion at the last Chainlink "LookChicago" meeting--if you're not yet a member, please join us!)

Couldn't agree more. I bought two cheap taillights on Amazon for the purpose of using them as second, extra lights. I figured for a few bucks each I could have some extra protection with an extra taillight. One fell off and broke. The other would turn on when I left for me ride, but when I would get home it would be out. Couldn't figure out what was wrong with it other than being cheap.

The old expression, "Penny wise but pound foolish" comes to mind.

Aaron Bussey said:

For regular city commuting you may be inclined to go with a more inexpensive option, but honestly with the bad mounts I have experienced and then bad lights overall, I have probably spent more than $250 over the past 3 years on lights alone.

My life is worth way more than that so IMO a really good bike light is priceless for someone riding at night.

People who are thinking about any light that costs more than $100 should consider a dynamo light, powered by your biking (turns on/off automatically, never needs batteries). You'll need a bottle generator (not a fan), or a dynamo hub built into the wheel.

Also consider using the power of magnets for a battery-free light, the Reelight.

Anyone have experience with the Reelights? I went to the web site and watched the installation video for the 770 set, and it looks like even I could do that. Also seems pretty reasonably priced. But not if they don't work, or fall apart easily, or . . .